Tool for applying fastening means



Aug. 31, 1954 M. l. DIGGS lTOOL FOR APPLYING FASTENING MEANS BY .M1/kn. Zij n@ Q IN VEN TOR.

Aan m Patented Aug. 31, 1954 UNITED STATES FATENT GFFICE TOOL FOR APPLYING FASTENING MEANS Maury I. Diggs, Oakland, Calif. Application August 8, 1949, Serial No. 109,187

4 Claims.

particular reference to the mounting of spacer or other attachable elements on panel or the like structures by means of wire or similar devices capable of deformation in effecting interconnection between the latter elements and the panel or other structure.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described for effecting very rapid and secure fastening of attachable elements to surfaces of panel or like members.

Another object of the invention is to provide in connection with a base member such as a panel or the like, and of an attachable element having preferably anchored thereto tie devices, such as spaced wires or similar relatively spaced devices penetrating the'base member, a fastener element with a part placeable between the tie devices and to `which the tie devices may be secured in effecting securing of the attachable element to the base member, and an applying tool arranged for successive engagement with `and disengagement from the fastener element and tie devices for effecting securement of the tie `devices with the fastener element and for holding the latter while such securement `is being effected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool `of the character described which may be operated in association with the fastener, to provide for separate and independent entwining of the tie wires at opposite ends of the fastener, to thereby insure rigid anchorage of both the fastener and attachable elements tothe panel.

An additional object of the invention is to proi vide, in structures of the character described,

means in the fastener element and applying tool for facilitating ready engagement therewith of the tie wires or equivalent devices.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in the combination of a member having a bit adapted for interposition between a pair of,tie wires, which wires are also engaged with a chuck element rotatable relative to the bit for effecting relative entwining of the tie Wires over the bit, means for minimizing the likelihood of Wire breakage due to imparting a severe bend thereto in initially entwining the Wires and also due to the imposition on the strains.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in the combination of a spacer element lying Wires of undue tensile on one side of a panel member and interengagedI by wire connectors with a fastener element lying on `the opposite side of the panel member, a tool engageable respectively with the wire connectors and the fastener element, `the said tool being operable to effect primary securing of the fastener element to the wire connectors so as to confine the panel member between the fastener and spacer elements, and to subsequently effect displacement of the fastener element relative to the spacer element whereby maximum clamping pressure of the elements on the panel member is secured.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred :Ecrin of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section showing the improved fastening means and applicator tool of my invention engagedwith and preparatory to securing a protrusive element to a panel member.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the operative positions of the fastening means and the applicator tool after the fastening has been completed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View of the fastener.

Figure 6 is a portional perspective view showing the preferred type of fastener of my invention and its relation to the applicator tool.

Figure 7 is a portional perspective view showing a modied form of fastener and a correspondingly modified applicator tool cooperative therewith.

Figure 8 is a bottom planview of the preferred form of fastener of my invention.

The means of my invention, as will be evident to those skilled in the art, is applicable in a wide variety of situations `in effecting interconnection of elements whose security of engagement depends upon relatively spaced and subsequently entwined tie wires or like members, but I prefer to illustrate and describe the invention as applied to the mounting of spacer elements of mold forms for concrete structures, such as walls and the like.

As here shown a panel member 8, which may comprise a bounding element of a mold cavity 9 in which a spacer I l or other insert is to be sel cured while the concrete or other material is being placed in the mold cavity 9., is provided with an aperture 2i through which may be passed, to project from the outer side of the panel opposite that bearing the insert spacer I I, a` pair of trans axially spaced, flexibly deformable tie elements in the nature of and here shown as wires I3. Arranged for engagement with the projecting wires I3 is a fastener, the preferred form of which is illustrated in each of Figures l, 2, 5 and 6, comprising a preferably metallic unit having a broadened base It of cylindrical or other suitable form from which rises an axially aligned diametrically smaller head portion It in which is provided a pair of apertures il corresponding in relative spacing to the degree of separation of the wires i3 and opening into subjacent funnel shaped recesses It within the head portion it which merge to form a unitary entrance recess I9 opening at the face of the fastener base I4 and having sloping side wall surfaces smoothly continuous with the side walls of the recesses I8. The overlap junction of the recesses I3 defines a sharp-edged bar 2i forming an integral extension within the fastener of the bar portion 22 of the head lying between the apertures I'I. On the exterior of the fastener one or more radially extending ears 23 is provided formed as an integral part of the fastener and extending preferably from the face of the head portion It to the base Ill.

A tool is provided operable in combination with the fastener to effect relative entwining of the wires i3 over the bar portion 22 and thusprimarily clamp the panel member 8 between the confronting end faces of the spacer element and the fastener base it. Sized to slidably pass over the head portion it of the fastener is the internal bore 2li of a tubular casing 25 having at one end one or more notches 2 in correspondence with the number of ears 23 provided on the fastener and capable of receiving the ears so as to lock the fastener and casing together against relative rotational movement. The opposite end of the casing it has secured thereto, by means of a setscrew 2% or its equivalent, suitable means here shown as a handwheel 29 whereby the casing 2t and its connected fastener may be manually or otherwise rotated or held against rotation. Arranged for sliding and rotational movements within the casing bore 2d is a cylindrical rotor 3|l having, at the end thereof facing the fas.- tener, a peripheral flange 32 engageable with a suitable stop here shown as an opposed pair of screws 33 carried by and spaced from the notched end of the casing 2t to limit the axial movement of the rotor in an outward direction in the casing and to assist in preserving relative engagement between the rotor and casing duringattachment and detachment operations of the tool. Secured to the outer end of the rotor 3|, by welding or other suitable means, is an extension Sleeve 34; also rotatable and slidable within the casing bore 2t, projecting beyond the outer end of the casing and fitted at its distal extremity with a handwheel Sii or other gripv element by means of which the sleeve 3st and its attached rotor 3| may be revolved in or moved axially of the. casing or held in a stationary position. Although manual` operation of the tool is indicated,y the handwheel 3,6` may be dispensed with if desired and the sleeve 34 may be gripped directly by the chuck of a power tool such as an electric or pneumatic drill for rotation by the latter.

A suitable chuck is provided in the rotor 3|, for effecting engagement of the latter with the wires I3 penetrating and extending from the fastener, and as here shown may comprise a pair of longitudinally extending bores 37 spaced radially apart, at the end of the rotor confronting the fastener in substantial conformity with the radial spacing of the apertures Il' in the fastener. Preferably the said end of the rotor confronting the fastener is constructed in somewhat similar fashion to the side of the fastener facing the panel 8 in being provided with tapered recesses 33 at the portal of such bore 3l' which act as funnels to direct the ends of the Wires into the bores. This construction is best illustrated in Figure 3 which shows the end of the rotor having the recesses 38 concentric with the ends of the bores 3l. It will be noted that the bores STI are drilled in angularl'y offset relation so that a plane transaxially intersecting the bores at one end will be perpendicular to a plane similarly intersecting the bores at the other en l. This relative angularity of the bores 3l serves to increase frictional drag on the wire; resulting in a tighter jointure.

In the manipulation of the fastener and its applicator tool, the former is manually brought to the side of the panel and placed in approximate registry with the panel aperture 2t, the protrudin .g ends of the tie Wires I3 being received in the recess I9. The fastener is then advanced over the wires until the face of the base Iiiy engages the surface of the panel 8. Such action may be acomplished readily and usually in a continuous motion by the operator since once the tie wires enter the recess i9, the ends of the wires will almost always be separated by the bar member 2| and guided into the respective recesses I8 and by the convergent sides of the latter into the respective apertures I1. Ln the event that both tie w-ires happen to enter a single recess It", the operator will immediately become aware of the facty due to his inability to advance the fastener along the wires since both of the latter cannot'.

enter a single aperture Il. However, such a, condition may be rapidly remedied by withdrawing and restarting the fastener after slightly turning the latter from its previous position.4 After the fastener has ben engaged with the tie wires and with the face of the panel, the ape plicator tool, with the rotor 3|' as shown Eig,- ure 1, preferably advanced as far as it will. go toward the notched endof the casing 26., is brought intosubstantial axial alignment with the extending tie wires and is advanced over the; latter so that the wire ends are caused, to enter the casing and to pass immediately into the; oo nvergentwall recesses 3,3 which latter will effect guiding of the wires into therotor bores 3l. After such initial connection is effected, the tool is; advanced bodily along the wires until the; one or more notches 2 at the end of the casing is caused to engage the lug or lugs 23 of the fastener., This will lock the casing to the fastener and will also against rotation andcausing relative rotation of j the rotor, the tie wires will be caused to become relatively entwined as shown in Figure 2 thereby not only binding the` insert element l|` and the fastener togetherbut also causing, as the entwirf- Upon completion of the aforesaid initial clamping of the panel member between the insert and fastener elements, the previously held handwheel 29 is rotated by the operator so as to effect relative entwining of those portions of the wire tie members i3, as shown in Figure 2, which penetrate the panel 8 and which lie between the previously connected insert and fastener elements. The effect of such action is to introduce tension in the panel-penetrating portions of the tie wires which is in excess of that imparted to the wires by theaction of connecting the latter `to the fastener element. The end result is that the fastener and insert elements, even through they may be left comparatively loosely `engaged with the panel after completion of the initial outermost wire tie, will be most forcibly urged into engagement with the panel so that the utmost security of the insert element in its `positional relationship with the panel is assured.

As before described, it will be noted that the bores 3l are disposed so that their longitudinal axes lie in angular relationship with the longitudinal axis of therotor 3|. AThis causes the normally substantially paralleltie wires, `when introduced into` the bores 3l, to be laterally and relatively oppositely flexed so that in the succeeding rotational movement of the rotor, `in the operation of effecting entwining of the tie wires,

twinement of the tie wires.

considerable frictional impedance will be im- Y posed on the wires resisting their gradual withdrawal from the rotor bores 31 as each convolution of one wire about the other is effected, thereby insuring the tightest interengagement between the wires and instituting, from the start of the wire entwinement, a desired force of relative axial compression between the insert member Il and the fastener to create forceful clamping therebetween of the panel member 8; This construction also serves, in the event that the extended portions of the tie wires are shorter than usual, to resist slippage of the extremities of the tie wires from the rotor bores at least until a suflicient number of relative convolutions of the tie wires has been completed to eect a satisfactory and secure engagement of the wires with the fastener element. An additional feature inherent in the construction of the rotor and in the angular arrangement of the `wire bores 31 therein, is

the relief of over-strain on the wires during their i process of entwinement since if such strain is induced, by relative tightening of one convolution of the wire upon another, `the free ends of the wires may slip sufficiently along the rotor bores toprevent the strain from reaching a destructive degree while still maintaining an adequate degree of tension in the wiresto insure the production of a securely wound interconnection therebetween. i

`in carrying out my invention, fastener elements other than the preferred form thereof previously described, may be advantageously used in association with the applicator tool without departing from the spirit of the invention. The prime requisite in the fastener is the provision of some sort of bar or bit element adapted to lie transversely of and between the spaced tie Wires over which the respective wires may be op- 6 positely bent and `relatively entwined. In its simplestform `such a fastener may comprise a random Alength of rod material such as a nail possessing adequate `flexion resistance which may be satisfactorily gripped by the notches 2'! and thereby interlocked with the applicator tool casing. It is preferred,however, that the fastener be constructed to possess an appreciable fiat area for bearing againstythe surface of the usually wooden panel 8 soas to not indent, damagingly, the panel surface during repeated processes of afiixing the fasteners thereto or under unusual clamping pressures imparted to the fastener to engage the panel. The aforesaid fiat area of the fastener also permits easier rotational movement of the latter in the final tightening operation. One example of such a substitute fastener is shown in Figure '7 and comprises a length of structural bar 42, here shown as a section of channel iron, provided in the web portion thereof with suitably spaced apertures 43 for the reception of the tie wires I3. The casing 2t, in this case, is provided in `its end with diametrically opposed notches 413 of adequate peripheral width `to straddle and receive the bar or channel fastener 42 so as to provide for holding the latter while the rotor 3| isbeing revolved to effect en- Although, in all instances, the casing 26 has been shown as provided withrnotches or recesses for interengagement with protrusive elements or portions of the fasteners it will be readily apparent that reversal of the parts wherein an extension element of the casing enters or otherwise engages a recessed or apertured portion of the fastener does not depart from thespirit of the invention. i

Iclaim: w i l i l. An applicator tool for use with a structure including a part having relatively spaced and fiexible elements extending from a surface thereof and a fastener having therein openings for the reception of said iiexible elements, said tool having first and second cylindrical and relatively concentric members, said first member having in an end thereof a recess in which a portion of said fastener may be received to interlock the latter and the first member, said second member having radially spaced separate bores extending longitudinally therethrough and in angular relationship with the axis of said second member into which said flexible elements may be extended to interlock the latter with said second member, and said second member being rotatable relative to said first member whereby said flexible elements will be relatively entwined over a portion of said fastener between the openings thereof and will be progressively withdrawn from said second member bores during said relative entwining of the flexible elements.

2. An applicator tool for use with a structure including a part having relatively spaced and flexible elements extending from a surface thereof and a fastener having therein openings for the reception of said iiexible elements, said tool having first and second cylindrical and relatively `concentric members, said first member having in an end thereof a recess in which a portion of said fastener may be received to interlock the latter and the first member, said second member having radially spaced separate bores extending therethrough in angular relationship with the axis of said second member and with the direction of extension of said flexible elements from the surface of said structural part, said flexible elements being receivable in said bores and said 7. angularity thereof functioning to resist subsequent Withdrawal of said flexible elements from said bores, and said second member being rotatable relative to said iirst member to relatively entwine said flexible members over said fastener intermediate said openings thereof.

3. An applicator Vtool for .use with a structure including apart having relatively spaced and flexible elements extending from a surface thereof and a fastener having therein openings for the reception of said iiexible elements, said tool having first and second cylindrical and relatively concentric members, said flrst member having in an end thereof a recess in which a portion of said fastener may be received to interlock the latter and the first member, said second member having radially spaced separate bores extending longitudinally therethrough and in angular relationship With the axis of said second member into which said exible elements may be extended to interlock the latter with said second member, said second member being freely rotatable relative to said first member whereby said iiexible elements will be relatively entwined over a portion of said fastener between said openings thereof and will be progressively withdrawn from said second member boresl during said relative entwining of the flexibleelements, and with said bores of said second member having ared end portions for guiding said exible elements into said bores.

4. An applicator tool for use with a structure including a part having relatively spaced and fiexible elements extending from a surface thereof and a fastener having. therein openings for the reception of said flexible elements, said tool having iirst and second cylindrical and rela- 8 tively concentric members, said first member having in an end thereof a recess in which a portion of said fastenermay be received to interlock the latter and the iirst member, said second member having radially spaced separate bores extending longitudinally therethrough and in angular relationship With the axis of said second member into which said flexible elements may be extended to interlock the latter with said second member, said second' member being rotatable relative to said iirst member whereby said flexible elements will be relatively entwined over a portion of said fastener between said openings thereof and will be progressively Withdrawn from said second member bores during said relative entwining of the exible elements, and said second member having therein funnel-shaped recesses coaxial with and converging toward said bores for oruiding said iiexible` elements into said bores.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Y Date 956,467V Anderson Apr. 26, 1910 1,181,292 Fenlason May 2, 1916 1,262,403 Sutherland Apr. 9, 1918 1,437,766 Pulis Dec. 18, 1923 1,543,491 Beghetti June 23, 1925 1,663,104 VJales Mar. 20, 1928 1,736,848 Dickinson Nov. 26. 1929 17,966,018 Miller July 10, 1934 2,152,090 Pryne Mar. 28, 1939 Y 2,171,524 Gates Sept. 5, 1939 2,391,696 Goddard Dec. 25, 1945 2,433,494 Van De Veer Dec. 3G, 1947 2,451,531 Bradley Oct. 19, 1948 2,516,263 Semon July 25, 1950 

